Responsible Tourism

The Great Wall of China Challenge

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Highlights of this tour.

Unique route
Rural China
Experience local life
Great Wall of China
Unspoilt

Example of the itinerary.

Day 1- Fly to Beijing.
Day 2 - Transfer from Beijing by coach to Gubeikou. At the hotel we will have a full briefing from the expedition leader.
Day 3 - For our first day trekking on the wall we walk on a section of the wall that hasn't been restored. We then take a path down to a reservoir, walking past rural villages to reach our campsite in a valley.
Day 4 - Today is a strenuous but rewarding day. We walk along some restored sections of the wall, but with plenty of ups and downs, until we reach the Simatai section. We then take a path off the wall and walk to our camp.
Day 5 -We leave our campsite and walk over the suspension bridge, up to the 12th tower for lunch. We then follow a path off the wall to the village of Gangfang.
Day 6 -Today we make our way along a track scattered with stones and the remains of the ancient wall. A descent into the valley leads us to our hotel nestling on the edge of a reservoir.
Day 7 - Our last day of trekking takes us through forests, with occasional views of the towers on the wall. A final descent brings us to our finish line.
Day 8 - Free day in Beijing.
Day 9 - Beijing to UK.

The benefits you bring in taking this tour.

Across the Divide recognise its responsibility and is continually striving to reduce the environmental impact of the work we do and to minimise the impact of our challenges on the environment within which we operate. We are therefore committed to continual improvement in our environmental performance, preventing pollution and minimising our effects through a complete programme of achievable targets and then in turn to make our activities environmentally and socially positive.

There are many ways in which our activities can have a negative effect on the societies in which we travel. In turn there are also many positive opportunities for us to leave positive impact in these societies. We minimise negative impact and achieve positive impact in the following ways;

- We educate and inform challenge participants about environmental and social pressures in the areas they are traveling to via comprehensive pre-event briefing packs, and nightly briefings whilst on an event and encourage local conservation partners to give evening presentations of their work
- We have a comprehensive Porter Protection Policy to protect the rights of the individuals and their families
- Ensure a fare income for all locally employed staff.
- Use local equipment and vehicles when we can
- We purchase food from locally sourced providers
- Avoid using foreign owned accommodation -instead where possible we use locally owned and run accommodation
- Discourage local begging and giving of short term cash gifts
- Provide local support for a minimum of five years providing not only funds but also specialist help and advice.
- Employ agents and use camp locations which are not foreign owned therefore ensuring income is kept in country whenever possible.
- Encourage maximum communications between locals and participants to encourage mutual understanding and respect between cultures
- We organise as part of the challenges cultural exchanges both sporting and social.
- Employ local guest speakers to talk about their societies and culture

As well as the effect we can have on local cultures we can also provide a positive effect on the environments in which we travel and the broader worldwide environment. We pursue positive impact in the following ways;

- In the planning stages of establishing a new challenge we take into consideration any environmental, cultural, economic and political issues before committing ourselves to operating in an area.
- Avoid the burning of wood whenever possible to avoid local deforestation
- Achieve zero litter, and when appropriate remove local litter
- Avoid pollution from our camp and accommodation activities
- Achieve zero damage and impact to local flora and fauna
- Encourage understanding of the local environment and its fragilities
- Encourage the eating of local foods therefore preserving traditional farming practice
- Encourage the use of biodegradable products especially washing products.
- Ensure good practice on all toilet activities, i.e. avoiding pollution to water courses
- Avoid the purchase of tourist products which impact in wildlife and the environment
- Ensure waste is minimized and recycled whenever possible.
- Minimise the consumption of water

In Peru our charity expeditions have contributed a great deal to both the local community and impacted positively to the conservation of the fragile eco-system.

It is a fact that the benefits of your charity walk or challenge are far more widely reaching than you can ever imagine

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